Apple Makes MacBook Air M2 Release Date And Details Official

Apple has given its new MacBook Air a release date, and it's far sooner than you think. The new notebook is set to feature the company's new M2 chip, which was unveiled at its annual developer's conference, WWDC. The M2 is Apple's latest generation of in-house silicon and promises to offer massive improvements over the previous generation of Apple chips and the Intel chips the company had previously used.

The 2022 MacBook Air M2, which is Apple's thinnest ever computer at just 11.3mm, weighs less than three pounds — making it one of the more portable devices available. This year's MacBook will come with an eight-core CPU and up to a ten-core GPU, and up to 24GB of LPDDR5 memory — making it ideal for intensive tasks like image editing, video processing, and even gaming. Apple says up to 8K video is supported, and their hardware is capable of handling several 4K and 8K streams at the same time. MagSafe charging also makes a return with Apple's new notebook, along with Touch ID and a 1080p Facetime camera. Four stylish colors are also available: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray.

With the tech giant's new M2 chip providing the power, the 2022 MacBook Air could be up to 40% faster than its predecessor. Apple suggests that on its own, the M2's CPU is up to 18% faster than the M1 while consuming the same amount of power, while its GPU is roughly 35% faster.

The new MacBook's Liquid Retina display is larger than its predecessors, at 13.6 inches. Apple has made most of the gains in screen space by reducing the size of the screen's edges. 2022's Retina Display is also 25% brighter than its predecessors, pumping out an incredible 500 nits of brightness. Customers will also gain the benefits of a four-speaker sound system, three microphones, and up to 18 hours of battery life. In order to preserve the ultra-thin display, the microphones and speakers have been "completely integrated between the keyboard and display." Despite the engineering gymnastics involved, Apple says the speakers and microphones both offer better audio quality than ever before.

Apple has announced their 2022 MacBook Air M2 will be available to order from Friday, July 9, 2022. Those wanting to get their hands on one early can place an order from 8 AM EST/5 AM PDT on release day. The company has also announced the laptop will be available worldwide from this time and will be in Apple Stores and arriving on customer doorsteps on Friday, July 15, 2022. Pricing for the new notebook starts at $1,199 in the United States or $1,099 with Apple's student discount.